Growing up: The missions of the Sannin
by ANBUShizuka
Summary: Life, love, death, hate...shinobi deal with these emotions and hardships almost daily. Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru know this all too well. WARNING: M for language and sexual content chapter 7
1. Chapter 1

Me: Yay! New story. Once again, it is...drum roll...a JIRTSU story!! A little look into their missions as kids. Have fun reading. And don't laugh or cry...unless it's just that terrible...

--

"Sarutobi-sensei, why do we have to do this?!" Jiraiya whined. He trotted behind the jounin and was carrying all the provisions. A stone caused him to trip and fall flat on his face. Before a single tear could fall, a pair of hands lifted him up, dusted him off, and wiped away a small trickle of blood at the corner of his mouth. "Hm? Hime...?"

Tsunade, the oldest of the trio, looked at him with calm hazel eyes. She grinned mischieviously and said, "Don't let your tears escape, baka. We don't want Orochimaru-san to laugh, do we?"

'_That_ _teme...I won't lose out to him...'_Jiraiya thought. He couldn't stand Orochimaru. The pale boy was so emotionless and cold...he wasn't at all like that. Jiraiya LOVED bright colors and adventure. Given, he was a bit danger prone. A slight tug pulled at his ankle. "AW, SHIT!!"

"HAHAHAHAHAHA!! POOR JIRAIYA!! FELL INTO A TRAP AGAIN!! I'll go get Sa-Sarutobi...sen-sensei!! OW! My ribcage h-hurts!! SARUTOBI-SENSEI!! JIR-JIRAIYA!! Hee hee...HE FELL INTO ANOTHER TRAP!!" Tsunade giggled. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she awaited her sensei's assistance to get Jiraiya out of the net.

The brunette man wandered over and undid the rope. Jiraiya tumbled to the ground. "Ouch. THAT HURT, YOU NO-BREASTED TSUNADE!!"

"GO F-" Sarutobi gave her a sharp look and then returned to picking up the provisions. She flipped her blonde hair over her shoulder and walked on. Jiraiya muttered something low and then limped up beside her. "Are you having trouble, baka?" Tsunade had real worry in her face. Her eyebrows were knitted together in a worried state and she wore a frown instead of her usual teasing grin.

"I'll be fine...geez...that really hurts. GAH!" Jiraiya crumbled to the ground, clutching his ankle. Pain ran up and down his leg. "I think it's broken!" he hissed.

Orochimaru walked back to his halted teammates. He questioned, "What's taking so long, dobe? Being dramatic again?" His yellow eyes were narrowed in anger. He wanted the mission to be over with. His snakes, or at least the ones he could summon, didn't like the cold of the Land of Earth and neither did he.

"Shut up, Orochimaru! Jiraiya is really hurt! Go on ahead and get a medic to come back with you. We'll-"

"Aren't _you_a medic, Tsunade-hime? Well?"

"Yes...but I only just started studying. It'll take me awhile until I'm able to heal myself, let alone someone else."

"Hmph. You're pathetic..." Orochimaru sneered. A sharp pain flew into his face. Jiraiya had punched him then fell back to the ground. "MY NOSE!! YOU- YOU ASSHOLE!"

"Well, dumb fuck...don't insult Tsunade-hime. I won't stand around and do nothing when someone like you insults women. And especially if that woman is Tsunade. I won't let you," Jiraiya panted. His ankle was causing him pain. "GYAH! STOP!! TEME, STOP!! GRR...MY ANKLE!! YOU-"

"YOU FUCKER!! STOP STEPPING ON HIS ANKLE! HE TOLD YOU TO STOP!! NOW DO AS HE SAYS!"

"I'll go get a medic...that ankle must be broken, Jiraiya...don't cry...it can't hurt that bad," hissed the boy. His smooth voice aggravated the white haired boy. He leaned back against a boulder and wept silent tears. A soft hand caressed his face. "Huh?! Oh. You...here to agitate me or tell me why you stood up for me?"

"Here to tell you why. I can't stand Orochimaru. He's just freaky. And...it hurt me to see you in pain. So I want to help. I'm gonna try to heal you, OK?" Tsunade whispered. Their sensei still had not returned and she was getting scared. They had never been without their sensei on a mission of this caliber. It was A-rank...they had to escort scrolls of urgent information to the Land of Earth's capital.

"All right. You can try...I believe in ya."

"Here goes," Tsunade sighed. She concentrated and brought her chakra to her hand. She molded it into a healing form and pressed it against Jiraiya's ankle. He hissed in pain but stayed quiet, otherwise. The only thing that hurt was when her hand initially touched the sensitized bone. Cooling sensations wrapped themselves down the bone, mending and renewing.

"OI! Are you all right? Hm? You're already healed...did this..._girl_ heal you?" asked the aged man. His face was set with lines. It told of his experience.

"Yeah, _Tsunade_healed me. She's a natural at this kinda stuff. The only reason she wanted you here was to make sure that nothing went wrong," Jiraiya stated. His voice was arrogant, defensive.

The man glared at him, then turned to Tsunade. He heaved a sigh, "You did quite well. Nothing went wrong with the healing and it appears that you even _renewed_ the bone...that's very impressive for someone as young as you. Job well done."

Tsunade grinned and waved as the man left. Sarutobi walked up and asked, "What the hell went on?"

Tsunade and Jiraiya looked at him accusingly and retorted, "WHY DID IT TAKE YOU AN HOUR AND A HALF TO GATHER OUR PROVISIONS?! ARE YOU REALLY GETTING THAT OLD?!"

"SHUT YOUR MOUTHS, YOU BRATS!! IF I HADN'T DONE THAT, YOU TWO NEVER WOULD'VE FLIRTED ON THIS ENTIRE MISSION!!"

"NANI?!"

--

Me: Well...that turned out different. Not at all how I had planned it. I had originally planned for Tsunade to get hurt but...oh well. They flirted. It's all good. Next chapter will conclude this mission. With...a little something you DEFINITELY wouldn't expect.


	2. Chapter 2

Me: Yayness! Next chappie! I'm on a frickin' roll tonight!! Yes!! Well...this morning. It's like...12:41 in the morning right now. Where I am, at least. Well. Right now, while I'm typing. It'll be later that I post this so...yeah. Don't take much of this too literally. I get a little random and sometimes talk about the time. I still don't own Naruto...I forgot to do that in the last chapter...hunh.

--

Tsunade straggled behind the group; she wasn't used to the unnatural chill in the Land of Earth. She shivered and whined, "Baka-kun, let me wear it, please? I'm cold!!"

Jiraiya looked over his shoulder at her and saw how soaked she was. The cold had really gotten to her..."Fine...just don't do anything to it, all right? That's my favorite!" He shrugged out of the grayish silver kimono with red flames and green lining at the seams and handed it to her.

Gratefully, she took it and pulled it on over her fishnet shirt and black shorts. She had discarded her short kimono earlier due to the water that had soaked it. "Thank you, Jiraiya..." her voice has soft and whispering. She grasped the over sized sleeves and brought them against her frigid cheeks. She immediately warmed. Her pale complexion was instantly brightened by the fabric. And something else...

"Your welcome...LOOK OUT!!" Jiraiya shouted and dove for Tsunade. A kunai flew past where the blonde girl had been only moments ago. "Ugh. My shoulder..."

"My- GUH!" Tsunade grunted as a huge man picked her up around the neck. His hands encircled her throat and clenched.

"LET HER G- ARGH!!" Jiraiya cried out when the man's partner threw him a gut shot. The two shinobi kept hitting them.

"Unhand my students..." Sarutobi threatened. He shot them a fierce look when they laughed. He asked, "What in blue-blazes is so damn funny?"

The huge man stated, "My name is Morikaru. I'm a shinobi hunter. And I got word that Tsunade-_hime_ was going to come here to this land. And since she's like royalty, I thought I'd get a..._Hokage's _ransom, as it were." His laugh was dry and hoarse. His partner removed the mask and revealed their identity. It was a woman.

"I am Nari. I, too, am a shinobi hunter. I work as Morikaru's partner. Ready?"

"Ready. Kill the boys and their sensei."

"Got it," she replied. She dashed forward, black hair flying. In moments, Orochimaru was laying on the ground in a massive pool of blood. "One down..." Sarutobi dodged her punches and anticipated her use of kunai. She swiped at him with two kunai blades and missed, effectively turning her cross pattern attack against herself. She cut off her own hands. "ARGH!! MY HANDS!!" Sarutobi finished her with a single stab to her heart. He didn't want his enemies to suffer...even if they hurt those that he cared for. No one deserved such pain.

As blood spattered his face, Jiraiya shivered. He finally realized how cold the world could be. He glanced about and saw how much Tsunade was struggling. Kicking and lashing out, she wasn't about to give up. But Morikaru was so huge, he just lifted her higher off the ground. "Hime...hold on..." Jiraiya rushed forward after drawing a kunai. He thrust the blade into the giant man's body and pulled it across. A flood of guts and blood poured out and drenched the battlefield. Tsunade dropped into a pair of arms.

She looked up to see Jiraiya holding her close to his chest. "Jiraiya...you...saved me. Thank you...so much. I'm so grateful." She hugged him tightly and rested in his embrace until they reached the capital. Upon reaching the city, the four shinobi found the capital building...otherwise known as the home of the daimyo.

"Welcome! And thank you for hurrying. You may stay here and rest up. According to my guardsmen, you ran into a little bit of trouble?" stated the daimyo. He wasn't a big man, only about five foot six. He had long, blue hair and a kind smile. His eyes were a deep brown and reflected the light like the sun on dark pools.

Sarutobi replied, "Yes...we ran into a bit of trouble. Morikaru and Nari, the shinobi hunters, saw fit to attack Senju Tsunade here." He motioned towards Tsunade who was fast asleep in Jiraiya's arms.

"_The_Senju Tsunade...as in...the granddaughter of Shodai Hokage-sama? Well then! Let me arrange for you to have the best rooms. You will stay for the ceremony, correct?"

"Ceremony? What ceremony?"

"Oh, well. You obviously haven't heard...Senju Tsunade is engaged to my son."

Jiraiya immediately took the defensive. "No way!! It's an arranged marriage, isn't it?! Shinobi choose who they marry!! We follow our hearts when it comes to that!! Let's go, Sarutobi-sensei!" He turned but found himself blocked by guards. "Nani...?"

"I'm afraid you can't do that..."

--

Me: Wow. I must really be going for something big. Aw well. That was an unexpected turn, now wasn't it?


	3. Chapter 3

Me: All right...here we go. I wanna do something really good. I hope you all like this!!

--

"Why won't you let me through?! Don't you understand what shinobi have to go through?! The only thing we get to choose is who we marry and hopefully how we die!! We live in a world that's forever clouded! Love is our only outlet! LET US GO!!" Jiraiya yelled. His impassioned speech brought the daimyo's son into the room. The boy, for he was just that, had tears in his eyes. "Who...?"

"I'm Takemaru. I'm the daimyo's son. I hadn't wanted to marry but now that I see her beauty...I want to...but..." the boy trailed off. Jiraiya waited in anticipation as Takemaru continued, "I will not. It is obvious...that you hold deep feelings for her. And since you are shinobi, I know that she wouldn't make the best wife for me. Plus, I'm only ten. And she's like...fourteen? I don't think she'd like such a young groom. You will still have the best rooms. Please, rest and enjoy yourselves while my father and I deliberate over a suitable bride for me. Thank you...uh, I didn't catch your name."

"My name is Jiraiya. Of Konohagakure. It's a pleasure, Takemaru-sama."

"Ew. Don't use such an honorific with me. Call me Takemaru," stated the boy. His dark hair was pulled back in a small ponytail at the base of his neck. His kimono was a fine fabric. He was truly more mature than he looked, but he was still just a kid.

"Thank you, Takemaru-kun. You've helped a lot. Where will we be staying? I'd like to let Tsunade-hime sleep in a normal bed," Jiraiya laughed easily. Takemaru laughed also and led Jiraiya down a long hall. He opened a door and motioned inside. Upon stepping into the room, Jiraiya gasped, "It's huge!"

Takemaru smiled and asked, "Nice, right? My father decorates these rooms however I see fit. And unfortunately for him I like modern punk."

"Nice!" laughed the white haired teen. He grinned but then asked, seriousness darkening his mood, "What about Orochimaru? What about that teme...?"

"He'll get a nice cot in the infirmary. His injuries are serious enough that you all won't leave for awhile. We want to make sure you'll be OK. She...is so pretty..." Takemaru whispered. He chuckled and said, "Well, I won't get to marry her so...I give you my blessings, should you manage to tame this beautiful tigress..."

"I have a feeling I might...but then again, I might not. All I can do is hope." Jiraiya laid Tsunade on the bed. He pulled the covers up to her chest, then leaned down. He kissed her forehead.

"Well...'night, Hime. See ya tomorrow..."

--

Jiraiya walked over to Sarutobi and sat beside him. Orochimaru laid on a cot, wires and tubes hooked all over to his body. "He's doing better, Jiraiya. You should go to bed." Sarutobi grinned and patted Jiraiya's head.

"You're just saying that so you can sneak off and peep on girls in the bath, aren't you?" Jiraiya accused. He laughed as his sensei blushed a million shades of red. "Well...go on and go...I don't have much to do anyway. When will we leave?"

"As soon as your teammates are better."

"OK."

--

Three days later...

"I'm gonna miss that room!! The navy blue walls, the band posters!!"

"There were band posters?!" Jiraiya asked.

"Yeah," Tsunade replied. She continued, "There was The Ramones, The Strokes, The Clash...there were movie posters too! Like from Meet the Spartans!"

"DAMN!! And I love that movie!!" Jiraiya whined. Orochimaru snickered. This caused Jiraiya to snap, "What about you, ya flamer?!"

In moments, Orochimaru held Jiraiya by the throat. He hissed, "Insult me again, you baka, and I swear...I'LL KILL YOU!" Orochimaru released his hold at Jiraiya's throat and walked ahead.

Tsunade rushed to Orochimaru's side. She asked, "What's wrong, Orochimaru? You seem really pissed off. Did something happen back at the daimyo's place?"

Orochimaru nodded, his yellow eyes clouding over. He whispered, "You were supposed to get married back there...in that town. It turns out that your family had set you up in an arranged marriage. And you were supposed to marry Takemaru-san. But Jiraiya...his speech...saved you. It seems like he...cares deeply about the ideals of shinobi. And that of love. What happened was..."

**:FLASHBACK: "Why won't you let me through?! Don't you understand what shinobi have to go through?! The only thing we get to choose is who we marry and hopefully how we die!! We live in a world that's forever clouded! Love is our only outlet! LET US GO!!" Jiraiya yelled. His impassioned speech brought the daimyo's son into the room. The boy, for he was just that, had tears in his eyes. "Who...?"**

**"I'm Takemaru. I'm the daimyo's son. I hadn't wanted to marry but now that I see her beauty...I want to...but..." the boy trailed off. Jiraiya waited in anticipation as Takemaru continued, "I will not. It is obvious...that you hold deep feelings for her. And since you are shinobi, I know that she wouldn't make the best wife for me. Plus, I'm only ten. And she's like...fourteen? I don't think she'd like such a young groom. You will still have the best rooms. Please, rest and enjoy yourselves while my father and I deliberate over a suitable bride for me. Thank you...uh, I didn't catch your name."**

**"My name is Jiraiya. Of Konohagakure. It's a pleasure, Takemaru-sama." :END FLASHBACK:**

"Jiraiya...he said that? Huh." Tsunade turned and smiled at the white haired boy who was talking in earnest to Sarutobi.

Orochimaru looked on, a grimace falling upon his face. He didn't like Jiraiya. But he did have feelings for Tsunade and he hated the fact that she had such power over him. "I...can see that he loves you..." Tsunade turned sharply back to the pale boy who had started to speak. "And I hate it...I hate that he loves you so much...and isn't afraid. I'm not blind, you know...I can see that you have feelings for him too..." Tsunade started to object until Orochimaru held up his hand to silence her. "But I will tell you this because I won't lie...I too have feelings for you." With that, the raven haired boy strode ahead and walked beside Sarutobi. In his head, Orochimaru sighed, '_But my ambitions come first.'_

'_Both of them...care for me that much...but...'_Tsunade thought to herself, trying to figure out what was going on. She shook her head and rushed to walk next to Jiraiya.

--

Me: And, once again...I have conflict!! It will only get worse, though! Please review...


	4. Chapter 4

Me: OK then. Time for another chappie! I got bored and I've been updating a lot of different stories, huh?

--

Tsunade sat back, the tree providing a perfect view of her target. "C'mon...just a little. Bit. Closer. THERE!" She threw the water balloon and hit Jiraiya square in the chest. "BULL'S EYE, BABY!!"

"THAT'S NOT FUNNY!" Jiraiya shouted. He stopped from cursing anymore when Sarutobi and Orochimaru walked up.

"Well, did you piss Tsunade off again?" Sarutobi questioned with a laugh. When Jiraiya shook his head adamantly, the brunette man shouted, "Tsunade-chan! You can't throw stuff at poor Jiraiya for nothing. You need a reason. Now get down here, you have another mission."

"Right!" Tsunade replied. She jumped from the tree with a flip and landed perfectly.

Listening intently to their master, the three teens set off on a simple escort mssion. Get the kid back to his family in Iwagakure. "Who the heck are you losers?"

"These are your escorts. Now, you three, you're not allowed to kill him if he misbehaves. Just dangle him over a river with some rabid fish in it," Sarutobi smiled. The kid beside him didn't smile. All he did was stare widely at him.

"I've got one better. If he misbehaves, we'll dangle him over a pit full of snakes," Orochimaru grinned cooly. At this point, the kid was ready to run home by himself screaming.

"Orochimaru! That's horrid! Don't you dare do that!" Tsunade scolded.

The boy scooted over to the tall (she's tall to him, ok? to the rest of us...well...) girl and grasped the fabric of her kimono and tugged it to get her attention. She looked down and he said, "I like you. You're nice. And you're pretty."

"Oh, I like this kid," Tsunade giggled. She grabbed the boy's hand and the four set off to take the kid home. After a while, the little boy whined about being too tired to walk. In turn, Jiraiya let the boy hop on his back and carried him like that. "Jiraiya, that's so sweet! You're letting him ride you like a pack horse!" Tsunade teased.

Jiraiya grinned and said, "Oh, be quiet, Tsunade-hime. It's your turn to carry- uh...kid, what's your name?"

"My name is Toki! So stop calling me kid!" the little boy commanded.

"Well, Toki-kun, we'd appreciate it if you wouldn't call us mean names like, uh..'losers' and we'd also like it if you wouldn't boss us around, ok?" the blonde girl asked sweetly.

'_Oh, boy...She's using the cute voice. Even I can't resist the cute voice...evil little vixen...'_ Jiraiya thought. He shook his head when the boy eagerly agreed. "Well, Tsunade-hime, you really can charm anyone!"

"Well, of course I can! I'm cute, aren't I?"

"...I'm not going to answer that," retorted Jiraiya and Orochimaru.

Toki replied, "I think you are!" He blushed when Tsunade got closer and pressed her lips to his cheek.

"Thank you, Toki-kun! You're so much nicer to me than Orochimaru and Jiraiya," she smiled. She held the boy the rest of the way there to let Jiraiya rest. He was still dreadfully tired and plus, it was a Monday. Who liked to work on a Monday?

After Toki had fallen asleep, Tsunade started to talk more openly with her teammates. They conversed about how Sarutobi favored Orochimaru, who didn't contest to it. And then Jiraiya asked what he was always afraid to ask, "What kind of guy do you like, Tsunade-hime?"

Tsunade was caught off guard at the question. She muttered, "Well, um...I like guys who make me laugh, can give me a challenge every once in a while, who listen to me when I talk...and who really like nature. Hate to admit it but I'm a huge eco-freak. I'm really concerned about pollution and stuff."

"Oh. All right. Just curious," Jiraiya replied. They arrived at Toki's house in Iwagakure and handed him over to his parents. Insisting that the bedraggled teens rest themselves, the trio stayed the night. It was well after two in the morning and none of them had fallen asleep. Jiraiya grumbled, "Well, this bites. What're we gonna talk about?"

Orochimaru rolled his eyes and said, "Well, if we answer that, we'll be talking about something, won't we? It kinda defeats the purpose." He got a good whack in the head with Jiraiya's pillow. "Dude!" He swung back and accidentally got Tsunade. Thus, they had a giant pillow fight until around three and then they decided that they were finally tired. "G'night, hime. 'Night, baka."

"Goodnight, hime. 'Night, teme."

"Why're you two so mean to each other?! Oh, well! Goodnight, baka-kun! Goodnight, Orochi-kun!" Tsunade grinned. With that, she snuggled into her sleeping bag and fell asleep.

--

"Ugh...let's get back to Konoha as fast as possible. I want to sleep in my own bed, man..." Jiraiya yawned. He stretched to his full height of about five foot five inches at the moment.

"You said it, baka-kun..." Tsunade mumbled. She was still half asleep. Her long, blonde hair was left to fall about her shoulders and so she ran her fingers through it. "I'm still beat from walking so much yesterday.

The boys both stated, "Same." It didn't take the teens as long to get home becasue they didn't have Toki to drag along. Then, when they got back to Konoha, Orochimaru asked, "Gonna go help out with your baby brother, hime?"

"Of course! I loved little Nawaki-chan on sight!" With that, the trio parted until the next day of training.

--

Me: And for those of you who want to, please review! I'd really appreciate it. This was more of a filler chapter. So, um, that's it, I guess. Ja Ne, people!!


	5. Chapter 5

Me: And...for the rest of the chapters, this might get sad. But never fear! I plan to have at least one more happy chapter!

--

The rain poured and lightning ripped through the blackened sky. Thunder rumbled, making the less stable buildings quake. A blonde woman ran to the one place she had never wanted to be. The morgue. '_Please! Please, don't let it be true!!'_ she cried inwardly. When she arrived, Jiraiya and Orochimaru were standing under the awning. Jiraiya looked at her with a new kind of pain in his eyes. She knew that he was hurting for her. She could see it in the glistening obsidian of his eyes. Orochimaru, on the other hand, simply stood there. No emotion. She walked toward the small, brunette figure that was covered with a white sheet on the alter. A huge hand closed over her shoulder and stopped her. Looking up in surprise, she saw Jiraiya holding her back.

"Don't. You oughtn't look at the body, Tsunade-hime," he said sadly.

Orochimaru chuckled, "Nande? It's not like she could tell just by look-"

"Silence, Orochimaru!" Jiraiya snapped.

"This is war. Shinobi die and are left on the battlefield. There are no doctors or healers to save them," Orochimaru said in a cool tone. He continued, "And he was so young too. And after receiving such a nice gift the day before..." With that, the pale man drew the necklace out of his kimono. He held it out to the blonde, and dropped it in her palm. She clutched it closely and stared as her aniki-kun's body was prepared for burial.

--

It was an insult. The day of the funeral was bright and sunny. Almost like Kami-sama was pleased with the death of someone so young and promising. Many wept, but none so much as the beautiful woman who had helped raise the boy into the shinobi he had started to be. She stood next to her teammates, letting them hold her with comforting arms and words. After Orochimaru had seen her cry, he had felt a sudden surge of emotions in his heart. He remembered that he had been in love with her. And he still was. It nearly killed him to see Tsunade weep like that. "Tsunade-hime...don't weep so. He isn't in pain anymore...look at it that way. But...if that still doesn't help...I'm sorry." With that, the snake summoner walked away, leaving Jiraiya to comfort the blonde.

"H-he's right...aniki-kun isn't...in pain anymore. But now I am!" Tsunade sobbed. She collapsed in Jiraiya's strong arms. Never had she cried like this. Never. "What's wrong with me?!"

"You're sad, hime. You're in pain. And sadly...not even medicine can heal a broken heart. Perhaps...if you want to keep this from happening...you could do what Orochimaru said we didn't have. You could become a doctor."

"Jiraiya, you know that I can't. There's the Hypocratic Oath...I'm a kunoichi. I kill people. And if I need to, I'd even use whatever knowledge of medicine I have," Tsunade said.

"Well then...become a healer. They aren't doctors. But...you could become even more talented than one of those damn doctors. You can use and manipulate chakra like no other! C'mon, where's the headstrong hime I know?!" Jiraiya asked in an attempt to cheer up the woman. He saw a small smile spread across her face. He finally questioned, "Better now?"

"Yeah...but...could I have a little time by myself?" Tsunade replied. Jiraiya nodded and walked away as well. He didn't really want to leave but he knew that Tsunade needed to think. He left wordlessly, not wanting to break her thoughtfulness. '_ "This village meant a lot to our gii-chan! And I'm gonna protect it!" '_ The smile had disappeared, leaving a determined scowl on the tearful face of the young blonde woman.

--

Me: Ok, this was shorter but...it was actually really difficult to write. I really had to delve into the characters' minds and think of what they might say to each other. And especially how Tsunade would feel about it being sunny on the day of Nawaki's birthday. I mean, reallly. What kind of omen is that?! Please review!!


	6. Chapter 6

Me: You guys have no idea how much it killed me to type this chapter. I don't hate Dan or anything but Tsunade is better off with Jiraiya. So, please. Read this chapter and tell me if you like it. Basically: review, please!

--

A man with long, white hair and obsidian eyes gave a pouting glare at the ecstatic blonde. He sneered, "Tsunade-hime, I don't understand why you wanted us to meet your boyfriend. It just doesn't make sense. I mean, he's a good guy..."

"Baka-kun, that's all I was looking for. Your approval," Tsunade stated. She gave Dan a hug and waved as he went home. Turning back to Jiraiya, she asked, "Do you hate him, or something?"

"No, I don't hate him. I hate the fact that he's with you. But if you're happy, I'll live with it." The white haired Sannin got up to walk home when Tsunade grabbed his sleeve. He glanced at her and smiled, "Hime, don't get angry with me but I just get the feeling it won't last between you two."

Tsunade nodded then gave him a wicked grin. "Wanna play strip poker next week? You, me, Orochimaru, and Dan?"

"Three guys, one girl, and strip poker. I like this idea," Jiraiya smirked. He pecked her cheek and walked home.

--

"DAMN IT! I LOST AGAIN!" Tsunade shouted in frustration. She was down to her mesh shirt, black bra and panties. Jiraiya was grinning widely, already in his boxers. Orochimaru was still fully clothed and Dan was shirtless. All three men were grinning widely as Shizune called out for Dan.

"Oi, oji-chan, when are you guys gonna be done?! You'd think that things were going on..."

"Shizune-chan, I taught you better than that. C'mon, no one is naked," Dan joked. The dark haired girl peeked in sheepishly. She laughed upon seeing Tsunade down to her undergarments.

"Nice job, Tsunade-sama!" the girl giggled. She almost fell over from laughing.

"Shut up, Shizune-chan. This isn't funny. I need to win that way I won't be naked in front of three guys!"

Dan quipped, "Well, then, you shouldn't have challenged the three men who are interested in you to a game of strip poker." He dealt the cards as Shizune came over to sit next to Tsunade. "Shizune, are you really all right sitting in here? I mean, if you feel awkward or anything..."

"I'll be fine. Tsunade-sama wouldn't let anything bad happen to me, would you, Tsunade-sama?" the girl asked happily.

Patting the Shizune's dark hair, the blonde woman replied, "Of course not. Now, c'mere, you're gonna help me."

"Wait, no cheatsies!" Jiraiya whined.

"The dobe is right."

"Oh, it'll be fine. Besides, I suck at gambling anyway. How's a little girl gonna help me?"

Twenty minutes later...

"Shizune-chan, you're frickin' amazing," Tsunade grinned. Dan, Orochimaru and Jiraiya were all sitting there in shame. The took their clothes and held them in front of their genitals. Dan was blushing madly, Jiraiya was laughing becasue he was -apparently- bigger than Orochimaru and Dan PUT TOGETHER and Orochimaru was...well, he was displeased, to say the least.

"Of course. So, um...what're we gonna have for dinner? I'm kinda hungry..." Shizune smiled. She hopped up as her uncle finished dressing. He walked out and shrugged uncomfortably. "Dan oji-chan, are we really gonna stay with Tsunade-sama?"

"Yes, Shizune-chan. After all, she cured your fever and I love her. We could be a family," replied the sky blue haired man. He smiled softly and lifted the girl into his arms, making her laugh and scream with delight.

Jiraiya, looking even more pissed than when he heard that Tsunade was going out with Dan in the first place, stalked out of the apartment. He shouted over his shoulder, "See ya later, Hime. I'll call you after your mission ends, all right?"

"Right! You'll be the..second to know when we get back!"

The white haired Sannin poked his head back in the door to ask, "Second?"

"Well, yeah. Shizune-bozu needs to know first since she'll be staying at my apartment the entire time!" Tsunade retorted teasingly. She smiled and blew him a kiss as he left. "Nani? I was teasing. I didn't mean anything by it!" she exclaimed as Shizune gave her a stern look.

"You're such a flirt..." the girl sighed.

--

Me: All right. Finished. And yes, the next chapter is where Dan dies. I might as well tell you that now. And Shizune will be the first to find out. But you're in for something either might've or might not've been expecting. Anyways, please review!! Oh, yeah! "Bozu" means "kid" for those that didn't know.


	7. Chapter 7

Me: I LOVE GIR!! (Invader Zim is amazing...) RIDE TEH PIGGY!

But more importantly, Naruto is not mine. The concepts, characters, and plot belong to Masashi Kishimoto. If you like Dan, do not read this chapter. It goes into more detail about his death like HOW it happened. So, if you don't like him very much, stay tuned for some JirTsu fluff...and..well, just read. Please?

WARNING: THERE IS SEX IN THIS CHAPTER. IF YOU ARE UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THAT, DO NOT READ!

--

Dan, Tsunade, and two other ninja soared through the mess of trees and rain. Rin, Kakashi, Obito and Minato weren't far behind. The blonde woman halted, her acute hearing alerting her of enemies up ahead. "Oi, there's some of 'em up there...we shouldn't rush anything but...Dan. You're our best tracker. I want you to scout ahead. All right?"

"I was about to volunteer for that. Be careful, Tsunade. I love you," Dan whispered as he kissed her lips gently. He leaped away. Only moments later, a group of ninja charged at them. Then, in the distance, they heard a wretched scream.

"DAN!!" Tsunade shrieked, her terror building. She punched at the shinobi in her path, their blood soaking the ground as well as her vest and pants.

She finally got to the clearing to see Dan, his body trembling from loss of blood. She also saw the enemy ninja were pressing paper bombs against Dan's abdomen. Then, they squelched the explosion with his skin. The blue eyed man screamed in pain. The red, life giving liquid leaked from his lips, and spilled over, creating a gruesome scene. When the ninja finally noticed Tsunade, they dropped the man and bolted at her. One created a chakra scalpel while the other concentrated his chakra into a deadly force. Tsunade summoned up her own chakra scalpel to ward off her medic nin enemy. But she wouldn't be able to deal with that much chakra...but the blows never came. Dan stood in front of her, shielding her from the opposing medics. He coughed up more blood and fell back into the mud. He whispered, "Tsu...nade..."

"Dan..no...no!" The blonde began to cry, her tears nearly blinding her. She wiped them away and glared at the enemies. She growled, "I'm gonna KILL YOU!!" She rushed forward and used a chakra scalpel to sever the main arteries in one of her opponents' wrists. And also around his throat. He choked to death, writhing helplessly in the mud. He tried to cry out for help but made a sick gurgling sound due to the blood that filled his lungs and throat. The other one, who was frozen in terror, didn't realize how close Tsunade really was until her fist went through his skull. To really make it hurt, she created an electrical shock and made it rip through the comlex organ.

Behind her, she heard her comrades yelling for her. Running back, Tsunade saw them crouched over Dan. Said man tried to speak clearly, "Tsu...Tsunade. Are you...all right?"

"Yes. Dan, what were you thinking?!"

"I...I can't die here. Not yet. Not like this. I have so much...to live for," he choked out.

Tsunade's hazel eyes glimmered with tears as she commanded, "Don't talk, Dan. You'll only waste your strength." She performed her most powerful healing jutsu and pressed it to his bleeding stomach. '_No, no, no! He can't die! I won't let him! Oh, Jiraiya...no. Not Jiraiya. Dan! Please, Dan, don't die on me!!'_she thought. Everything in Tsunade's mind was scrambled. Then she managed to say, half-heartedly, "It's ok now, Dan. You'll heal just fine." She attempted to smile, to reassure the man. Or perhaps...to reassure herself.

"Oh..that's good..." he sighed softly. His eyes were hazed and drifting between the sweet, welcoming darkness of death and the painful world of the living.

"NO! Dan! Don't die! Don't leave me! Please don't die! Don't die ! Don't die! Don't die!" she started to chant. It was almost like a mantra.

"Enough! He's dead already!" shouted one of the men. He watched as Tsunade, the most respected and beautiful kunoichi in Konoha, tremble and sob. Then, she threw her head back in a heart wrenching cry.

--(You might recognize the next scene. If not, refer to chapter 3 of "I'm still here")

Shizune looked on in horror as Tsunade stumbled in, mud, water, and blood following. "Tsunade-sama! Where-?!"

In Tsunade's hand was the necklace. The very one she had given Shizune's uncle only the day before..."Shizune-chan...I-I'm so sorry...I t-tried..." With that, the woman flung her arms around the girl and sobbed into her shoulder. The girl simply held the blonde quietly.

"Oji-chan...is..."

"I'm sorry, Shizune-chan! I'm so sorry!!" Tsunade cried. She explained how Kakashi had also been injured but lived. Then, she suggested, "Shizune-chan...you said you said you wanted to help protect those you loved, right? Would you like to be my apprentice?"

"Yeah! I want to protect the ones I love! Thank you, Tsnade-sama! Thank you!"

"Shizune-chan...you don't need to call me that unless we're near others who don't know us. Jiraiya thought it was funny and asked me if I secretly had a daughter."

"Okaa-san...we should rest. We need an early start tomorrow."

--

"Jiraiya...I'm back."

"Hime! What happened?!" Jiraiya cried out in alarm. So much had happened to the former teammates recently. Only a few days after Tsunade had announced that she was with Dan, Orochimaru left the village. Jiraiya had tried searching for him, of course, but failed the first time around.

"D-Dan is dead...I t-tried saving him..." she sobbed. Then, she thought of something else to tell Jiraiya, knowing that it would make him happy. But...how could she tell him that their only son...the one he doesn't know about...is alive and his prized student? The fact that it happened...over nine years ago and she hid her pregnancy. She was young and scared...and it and been right after Nawaki's death...After all, she was barely out of her teens. She stopped trembling as Jiraiya wrapped his arms around her in a loving embrace.

"Tsunade-hime..._I wish that I could take it all away...and be the one who catches all your tears..._" Jiraiya sang the blonde's favorite lines in that song, hoping to soothe her from the excrutiating pain. Her tears had drenched his kimono and his mesh shirt. He slid out of said garments and once again wrapped his arms around her. Then, he felt her tinier body move forward. Her lips came crashing into his and held him for a fiery kiss. "Tsunade...are you sure you want to do this?" Jiraiya panted between her hot kisses.

"Please...one last time...make me feel alive. Nawaki died...Orochimaru left...and Dan...he died. And I'm going to leave tomorrow. I need you one last time..." she cried. She held her body close to his and sobbed into his muscular chest. She tugged at her own clothes that interfered with his wandering hands. His expert fingers moving against his collarbone and his lips following the same path. She threw her head back in a moan. "Jiraiya..."

"This way...Tsunade..." He led her blindly to his bed, his thoughts preoccupied by her hands pulling at his pants and her lips grazing his jaw. He groaned as her right hand slipped in to stroke him. He was already hard but she was making it painfully sweet. His sex throbbed in her small hand and he tossed her onto the bed in a small burst of animalistic lust. The white haired man closed his lips over every part of her exposed flesh. Jiraiya suckled her breasts, making her arch and writhe beneath him. They tore at each other, wrestling and fighting for the right to claim dominance. Jiraiya won out, his huge stature pinning the woman down. Then, he plunged his hard sex into her, gritting his teeth as her pliant flesh gave way. Thrusting into her tight heat, the huge man allowed her slickness to lubricate the powerful pounding of his instincts. His obsidian eyes held her hazel ones as they cried each other's names as the cataclysm hit, both of them orgasming almost simultaneously. Tsunade finally let her body ease itself back down after arching into his feverish thrusts every time. "Well?"

"I never thought that you could possibly get better...but I think that when you can make it so that I can't feel my legs afterwards...that's pretty damn good..." Tsunade gasped. She rolled over and faced her snowy haired lover. '_Dan just died...why am I doing this? And with Jiraiya! But...I don't feel like I did anything bad...I feel so amazing right now...'_The blonde sat up, running her fingers through her mussed hair. She started to pull her clothes on and turned to Jiraiya. She said, "Thank you, Jiraiya...I'll miss you, baka..." Tsunade gave a small smile and pressed her lips to her huge teammate's sweaty brow.

"Good-bye...Hime...I love you..." he whispered as she left. And then...he didn't see her for years.

--

Me: Aw! I'm sad because: A) that lemon sucked. I'm such an amateur... and B) they had to leave each other! I so sad!! Jiraiya and Tsunade really love each other but they're just so stubborn...and Jiraiya waited a little too late. But still...there will be one final chapter after this one. It'll go over a memory that all the Sannin can relate to. So...please, stick around for that! Review please! (I didn't write a very detailed lemon because I got embarrassed. But I do have another one that I might post later...so...yeah.


	8. Chapter 8

Me: Ok. So...I was in the emergency room last night from...6:20 until 11:00.It sucked. We waited for two hours and then I finally got in. Then...I had to wait even longer. It really bit. Turns out I've got a sinus infection and it's made the cartilage between my lungs enflamed. Goody! (Not.) I'm typing this while I'm sick but I think you'll like this. It's kinda funny. All of the Sannin are remembering one memory. Enjoy! This is the last chapter!!

Orochimaru: She still doesn't own Naruto. So don't even believe anything she tells you. 'Cause I'm not gay.

Me: Yes, you are.

Orochimaru: No, I'm not. I just think that boys are better than girls. And by that, I mean their looks and physiques...

Me: He's gay.

Orochimaru: I AM NOT GAY!!

--

Tsunade was laying on the bed of the hotel room, looking at the ceiling. She sighed and said, "I'm sorry, Sarutobi-sensei..."

--

Ororchimaru opened a door into a cavernous hallway. He glanced at the end of the hall at the door and hissed, "I kinda wish that we..."

--

"...were able to stay..." Jiraiya whispered as he glared down at his book.

--

The trio stood by the gymnasium doors, looking for an excuse to leave. It was Sarutobi's wedding reception. They were twelve; who really cared if they were there? Tsunade, standing against the wall in her pink and black kimono giggled as she thought of something. She said, "Orochi-chan, baka-kun, I've got an idea!"

The boys looked at each other and sighed, "Oh, shit..." Then they gathered in with Tsunade and started listening to her plot. When everything was ready, Orochimaru gave the sign.

Sarutobi was on the podium. He was making a speech, saying, "And I'm lucky to have found someone so wonderful. I don't think that I'd have lived through everything without-"

"BANZAI!!" Tsunade and Jiraiya shouted as they dumped an entire bowl of punch over Sarutobi's head. They screamed with laughter and soon, the entire room of guests had joined in. The trio smiled at their sensei and saluted, "Congrats on your marriage, Sensei. But we're gonna go play some poker!! See ya!!"

"You little brats, get back here!! I can't believe you just did that! And at my wedding reception!!" the brunette man chased them all over Konoha, almost running into walls a few times. His wedding robes were drenched in red punch, making the white fabric light pink. He cursed at them and threw things. And made a few questionable hand gestures as well.

--

"Hehe...Sarutobi-sensei never got us for that one...but he sure did work us to the bone after that...I really wish..." Tsunade grinned.

--

"...that we could go back and..." Orochimaru had sunk to the floor.

--

"...be together like we promised..." Jiraiya heaved. He wrote down one last sentence in the book, a final tribute to the past they all shared at one point.

'_Oro-Tsuna-Jir! Let's kick some ass!'_

--

Me: Well, that's it. I hope you liked it enough to review. Please do. I really appreciate the feedback. Thanks!


End file.
